I guess it's all a matter of perspective...

[RoyY51]

I was just browsing through the May 2016 edition of Stereophile, and came across this (edited) mention in the Calendar of Industry Events: Saturday, June 25th, 2-5pm. "Several complete systems below $15,000 will be highlighted." Wow! That should bring out the coupon shoppers!

[JohnMichael]

I find myself easily losing perspective when I read about a speaker that is only $16,000 compared to the typical product by this manufacturer being in the mid $20's and up and I find it is a bargain. When did I start thinking like that since none of it is obtainable.

[Feanor]

I find myself easily losing perspective when I read about a speaker that is only $16,000 compared to the typical product by this manufacturer being in the mid $20's and up and I find it is a bargain. When did I start thinking like that since none of it is obtainable.

Their plan is working !!! Hifi equipment makers have been systematically working for a couple of decades to "up-market" consumer thinking in general.

There are trends that have enabled and, for some makers, necessitated this trend. First is the ever-increasing spread between the top 10% of income earners and the rest; it's not that there are more people with money, but that there are a few people with a lot more money. Secondly North American & European makers have driven out of the mass consumer market by Asian makers; to survive, the former are force them to cater high-end niche markets. These markets have limited volume and catering makers must support short production runs that higher product margins and therefore prices.

[topspeed]

I only recently renewed my subscription to Stereophile after cancelling it (along with my subscription to TAS) years ago. I was sick of their pandering to products completely beyond my reach. Upon receiving my first copy, I was immediately reminded why I cancelled when they had some outrageously priced speaker on the cover and reviewed 3 hideously priced amplifiers. Initially, I started to reconsider my subscription and then an epiphany occurred: This is just like my car magazines.

As a gearhead, I have no interest in reading about Corrola's or Camry's, I want the scoop on the McLaren 675LT or Pagani Huayra, even though I will likely never be able to afford either. For non-gearheads, the idea of spending $400,000 on a car is as inane as an audiophile spending $27,000 on Wilson Sasha's and considering it a bargain. Is $15,000 for an audio system expensive? I don't know, is $81,000 for a 650hp Corvette Z06 too much for a car that will smoke just about anything that lines up against it? To me, the 'Vette is a bargain.

Perspective, indeed.

[Mr Peabody]

A $20k dog?!!! In deed, perspect. You could probably adopt two foreign kids for that, LOL That dog would never leave my sight, probably not thehouse.

TS, has the right idea.

[Hyfi]

A $20k dog?!!! In deed, perspect. You could probably adopt two foreign kids for that, LOL That dog would never leave my sight, probably not thehouse.

TS, has the right idea.

No, you got it all wrong. We Googled around for an average of what it cost to take care of "a dog" over it's possible lifespan of 12-14 years.

Not one of these...

[Hyfi]

Interesting topic since I have just started working with a Planning group to come up with a retirement plan to be put in place. After our second meeting, our homework for the 3rd meeting is to decide what our Wants and Luxury things would be when we retire. Along with $$$ for Travel each year and a hopefully 1 time $20k for a dog that we always wanted, I also am budgeting $20K for a completely new Audio System.

I really only planned to spend $15k but the extra $5k will be a nice buffer. Hopefully those systems will still be available then

[Jack in Wilmington]

When we retired (5 years ago), I knew I wouldn't have the disposable income that I used to have when I was working, so upgrading my audio would be a longer, slower process. Since I was quite happy with my last 2 purchases before retiring (Pass Amp and Cary Preamp), I couldn't see any expenditures in the near future. I have replaced my HT receiver recently but that was out of necessity, as the old one crapped out.

Once we decided that we were going to stay in our home and not move to a 55 and older community, where most of the maintenance is taken care of for you, we decided to remodel our 2-1/2 baths for our benefit. We got rid of the tub in our bathroom and put in a nice sized walk-in shower, as most accidents happen at home, we didn't want to become a statistic. When we get the mortgage paid off (5 years) we'll have money for some new audio equipment, even though she has asked how much the record cleaner I want will cost. I keep hinting.